Curses and Cures
by sakurademonalchemist
Summary: Kyo never expected to be saddled with a second curse during his training trip...but what started out as an annoyance quickly leads to some serious benefits for the Sohma clan. Jusenkyo, the infamous cursed springs, might very well turn out to be the 'cure' to the Zodiac curse that they've been looking for. That is, if Kyo decides to share it considering he's the outcast of the clan
1. Chapter 1

Kyo was excited for this trip. His father had gotten approval from Akito to let him leave the country (temporarily) provided he was not gone longer than a year. Considering he was still a high school student, that was a reasonable demand.

So his dad booked a trip to the infamous springs of Jusenkyo...at least once Kyo had mastered basic Chinese enough that he could ask more than where the bathroom was or order food. If they were going to make a trip to another country, then he wanted Kyo to experience it properly. Besides, it was good for him to learn another language.

One plane flight to China, followed by a rather dull week getting to the training ground itself (it was supposed to be training, so they walked with weights around the wrists and ankles) but eventually the found it.

The guide was on a break, and Kyo couldn't read a word of Chinese.

Kyo looked across the odd expanse of pools.

"So why exactly is this place so infamous?"

"Something to do with the pools of water. It was written in an archaic kanji, so I couldn't really read most of it. Apparently the Amazons use this place to punish tribe members who break the rules, something to do with honor. Depending on which pool they fall in, they have to suffer a different punishment. From what I _was_ able to read, it was more of an embarrassing one than anything too bad," said his father absentmindedly.

"You're not going to try and convince me on those poles are you?" asked Kyo suspiciously.

"Kyo, do I look that foolish to you? There's plenty of room to train on the ground and even I don't know the trick to pole jumping without falling," said his father amused.

Kyo and his adopted father decided to do some light stretches and katas, since it had been a long walk to the training ground.

Once they got to sparring, Kyo slowly lost sense of where his feet were.

So when the guide came off break and found them fighting, he was quick to yell out _"Sirs! Be very careful not to fall in springs or you'll be cursed!"_

Kyo, who's head automatically turned when he heard the word _'curse'_ failed to block his father's punch which sent him flying into one of the larger pools of water. The guide shook his head.

Kyo popped out of the spring a few moments later sputtering, as the guide walked up.

" _Ah, too bad. You fell into Spring of Drowned Girl. Tragic tale of girl who drowned in spring many year ago. Now whoever fall into spring takes on body of young girl when hit with cold water,"_ said the guide shaking his head.

Kyo reluctantly pulled his gi forward and very nearly screamed. He had breasts! And a quick check proved he no longer had 'that' between his legs.

He looked at his father with open annoyance.

"Dad...why exactly _didn't_ you ask why the springs were so infamous?!" he, er, she asked irate.

"Er...I didn't think it would matter that much considering...?"

He _had_ asked why they were infamous before they reached the place. He just thought that the Sohma clan curse would prevent Kyo from getting one if he fell in. The only reason he avoided the poles was because his footwork wasn't that great.

" _Come inside while I get you hot water. Springs not very popular, but occasionally unlucky traveler picks up curse."_

" _How bad is this curse, and what exactly is it?"_

" _Is shape changing curse. Being hit with cold liquids turns you into whatever spring you fell into, in your case the Spring of Drowned Girl. Hot turns you back, though there are a few things that can affect the curse such as pressure points and spells. The Amazon village a few miles away guard the majority of the springs, but it's not often used. Some claim that it also comes with a water-attracting curse, but I've yet to see that."_

" _Amazon village? I wasn't aware it was so close,"_ said Kyo's father.

The guide had a Japanese translated copy of the Amazon laws. Kyo dove into them...maybe they could help with his *original* curse.

Apparently his dad was wondering the same thing, because he gave his son a one-armed hug.

Nothing happened.

"Well, at least we know _that_ seems to be overridden by this new one."

"Yeah, but will it stay like this if a girl...?"

"We'll cross that road when we come to it."

" _If sirs like, I could introduce you to Elder Kon Lon. She's generally the one in charge of the springs."_

" _How far is this village?"_

" _About ten to fifteen kilometers."_

* * *

It was unusual, but not rare for the man who watched over the springs to bring visitors. One was a boy with orange hair and a man who could be his teacher.

A quick explanation had them sitting in a small house with Elder Cologne, as the foreigners had a bad habit of calling her. She got used to it, even if it did result in an unfortunate misconception that all the powerful Amazons were named after beauty products.

At least this...Kyo...boy tried not to mangle her actual name.

"So what seems to be the issue?"

The Sohmas had been relieved she spoke Japanese, as their Chinese was barely passable.

"We were curious about an issue with this Jusenkyo curse. Specifically what would happen if another shape-shifting curse interfered with it. So far it seems one of the requirements for the original curse has yet to cause him to shift when it's met."

"May I ask what 'curse' you are talking about? Shape shifting curses are rather unusual."

"It's a hereditary curse that occurs only when the previous victim dies. The next to be born into the clan will be the next bearer, whether they are main house or branch. Some of the parents generally don't handle it well. Kyo is an exception to the rule. He has a secondary curse that activates when the bracelet he wears it taken off."

Cologne gave him a look.

"He is the Cat then. I thought the name Sohma sounded familiar, but I have honestly never heard of a case where one of the afflicted have come into contact with the Jusenkyo curse as well."

This was quite the conundrum. Never before has someone _already_ cursed to change shape fallen into one of the springs. Especially one as odd as the Sohma clan.

"Wait...you know about that curse?" said Kyo in shock.

"The Sohma originally came from China, child. It was here that they were cursed, and seeking a cure they went to Japan. Eventually they ended up staying as the clan had made many enemies in China while looking for a cure. There was also rumor about a prophecy being made that the one to reverse the curse would be born on the island, but no mention was ever made of _when_ that person would be born."

Kyo honestly had no idea the family was originally from China, but it did make some sense.

"As for your shapeshifting curse, there is a simple way to see if the Jusenkyo has altered it in someway. Xian Pu, could you come in here please?"

Xian Pu (commonly called Shampoo by foreigners, to her annoyance) came into the house. She had heard about the foreigners coming into the village, but she didn't know what her grandmother wanted.

"First we'll test this out in your girl form," said Cologne.

A simple cup of water, and Kyo was a girl. It was still weird, but to be honest he would rather be stuck a girl than a cat.

Cologne told Shampoo something odd, but the girl didn't ask questions. She hugged the cursed boy and to the shock of both, nothing happened.

"Hmm...it would appear that the Jusenkyo curse is either overpowering or confusing the original. Let's see what happens if you are back in your natural form," said Cologne.

This time there was a poof of smoke and Kyo ended up a cat.

"Great..." sighed Kyo.

"Look at it this way boy. Whenever you end up as a female you won't have to worry about your family curse acting up. Of course you could chose to become female permanently," said Cologne.

It was an unusual way to use the Jusenkyo curse, but the fact none of the Sohma thought to simply _change_ their genders as a way to cure it was something that privately surprised her. The Springs were somewhat famous after all.

There was another poof of smoke, and Kyo was quick to put his clothes back on.

Xian Pu wasn't that surprised. Most people who got an animal curse generally had trouble keeping their clothes on. At least Kyo didn't have to search for water to switch back.

"This is quite the conundrum. For now you may stay in one of the guest houses until we figure out what to do with that troublesome curse of yours," said Cologne.

"Thank you, Elder," said the older Sohma.

"Do you know of anywhere I could practice some katas?" asked Kyo.

"A martial artist are you?" said Cologne with some amusement.

"This was supposed to be a training trip that doubled as a vacation," said Kyo.

"Perhaps my granddaughter could provide you with a decent sparring partner. Very few have been able to beat her since the last contest."

Kyo perked up at that. Before he left the house he activated the Jusenkyo curse to make sure he would avoid any awkwardness of turning into a cat. This new curse seemed more like a mixed blessing than a nuisance.

* * *

Xian Pu did not seem very impressed with Kyo. It probably had to do with the fact very few bothered to properly learn martial arts these days, and those that didn't looked down upon the idea of fighting in general. Kyo took it up to try and one-up that damn rat Yuki, but instead the bastard still beats him.

He still kept at it, despite this attitude. He hoped to one day beat that damn rat, but he mostly trained because he honestly enjoyed it. He didn't have to be the best, but he wanted to _do_ his best.

Kyo dodged Xian Pu's weapon, noticing his girl form was much faster and far more flexible. He should put that to use.

Xian Pu wasn't expecting the low sweep, or the sudden punch that followed it. He could see the stirrings of respect start to form. Kyo was a black belt after all, even if he wasn't entirely happy with his ability.

He would never consider himself 'good enough' until he could beat Yuki and get his freedom.

He hadn't expected to win against someone who had been training their entire life with masters, but the fact he lasted that long against her had at least earned her respect.

Kyo noticed another watching them with a frown. He had some pretty thick glasses on.

" _Who's that?"_

" _He is Mu Tsu. Idiot thinks I'm his, despite the fact Amazon law says only those who can at least_ match _the girl in question at combat may make such claims."_

Kyo winced.

" _What does Amazon law say about trying to be friends with said girl?"_

" _We do not make many friends. Few outsiders like coming out this far, and even fewer like the fact that women rule this village and can beat men,"_ said Xian Pu.

" _Well I have very few female friends, and I don't particularly care if you can beat me. So long as you don't take out the fact I was born male out on me, I wouldn't mind sparring with you while I'm here,"_ said Kyo honestly. Finding out that he had essentially found an odd cure to the curse had been a blessing he wasn't looking for. Perhaps he could hope for a friend?

Xian Pu gave him a rather odd look. Normally when told about the Amazon customs, outsiders were either horrified about the 'barbaric' ways or tried to beat the Amazon so they could have a powerful wife.

None of them, to her knowledge, had asked to be her friend.

" _You don't think our custom is barbaric?"_

" _Why should I? I think it's a good way to insure that only people who actually_ understand _martial arts and take them seriously would marry into your tribe, and it keeps the bloodline strong,"_ said Kyo. He never understood the whole 'martial arts is outdated' attitude some of the boys in his school had. Those that were remotely interested in the art rarely made black belt. They mostly thought of it as a hobby.

Xian Pu's opinion of him went up even more. He at least had some understanding of _why_ the rule was in place. There had been incidents where an outsider married into the family and reacted badly to their children learning martial arts. It hadn't ended well, sometimes resulting in the outsider having their memories wiped and the Amazon filing for divorce shortly after.

* * *

Kyo's sleep was rudely interrupted by the sentries. He popped his head out and asked the first Amazon he saw _"What's going on?"_

" _The Musk are leading another raid!"_

Xian Pu and Cologne had briefly touched upon the only tribes that might know of the location of the Spring of Drowned Man, and from what he understood, the Musk weren't very nice. They periodically tried to 'raid' the Amazon village for women that they would force into marriage to act as breeders. Needless to say the Amazons hated them, and barely got along with them at all.

Kyo scowled. He hated the idea of someone forcing themselves on another like that.

His father was right behind him, agreeing to guard the younger girls so that some of the older ones could focus more on the raiders.

Kyo, however, went right into the thick of it.

He saw Xian Pu and ran towards her.

He narrowly ducked the weapons thrown at him, and threw a normally devastating punch. At least until he realized that his best wasn't exactly cutting it for people who knew more about fighting than he did.

Which left one option he normally wouldn't consider. However help was too far out and he didn't want to see any of the Amazons hurt.

He fingered his bracelet, and after thinking about it he slipped it off and put it in his pocket with the zipper on it. He had slipped out of his Gi because it had gotten dirty earlier, instead putting on his more casual clothes.

The reaction was instantaneous. Where his fists didn't do much damage, the Cat's true form, which always inspired disgust, did far more. Especially the claws.

Kyo wasn't going to concern himself over any potentially fatal injuries until after these jerks were gone. If the smell and appearance didn't put off the fighters, then his claws would.

* * *

The Amazons eyed the 'creature' warily. The only reason they didn't try to kill it was because of the smell and the fact it had taken care not to harm any of theirs. Cologne used her cane to pogo towards the group.

She barked something in Chinese, and the more powerful fighters dispersed.

"That was a risky gamble you took young one."

" _ **My punches weren't doing enough."**_

His voice always sounded weird in this form.

Cologne eyed the 'creature' with interest. Very few outsiders would risk themselves to help the Amazons, and Kyo had taken a few hits in his cursed form. The fact he had willingly removed the bracelet to help them repel the Musk spoke volumes about his character. There was also the conversation she had with Xian Pu a few hours before the raid.

The boy was odd, but he was still a better man than half the idiots who came to the village. Just because he was a little weak now did not mean he would always be so...especially if she could convince the others to at least give him a few basic techniques.

Slowly Kyo's less pleasant form melted into his human one. His shirt was done for, but his bracelet was still safe in the pocket he had put it in. Once he was back to human, he was quick to slip it on.

"Come child. We shall treat those wounds of yours and talk in the morning."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Just so we're clear, Kyo meets Ranma AFTER he leaves, when Shampoo comes to kill him/her. Needless to say Kyo and Ranma will get along like a house on fire because they have quite a bit in common.**_

* * *

Kyo winced, but didn't complain at the herbal remedies the woman put on his cuts and bruises. Word had already spread about his 'monster' form, and surprisingly the Amazons took it in stride. The fact he had used it to great effectiveness to give their fighters a chance to breath was enough for them.

Cologne, however, was speaking quietly to Kyo's father/teacher. Upon learning that the entire reason they came to Jusenkyo was to hopefully improve Kyo's ability to Martial Arts, she broached the subject of having them stay for at least a month. It had taken a bit of convincing, but she had approached a compromise with the other elders, who were impressed with Kyo's willingness to back them up, even if he had to use such a horrifying form to help fight off their rivals. They agreed to share some of the easier techniques with the teen...provided he agreed to stay in his female form for the rest of his stay.

Cologne came just as Kyo was _carefully_ putting his spare shirt on. The one he had before would need to be mended and washed before he could use it again.

"I have spoken to the other elders and your teacher. How would you like to learn a few of the Amazon's techniques boy?"

Kyo looked surprised, and rightly so.

"What's the catch?" he asked immediately. Something this good _had_ to come with a catch.

"You will not train anyone outside the village in our ways without our permission first, and you will have to remain a female during the training,"said Cologne.

That was reasonable enough. And after seeing how easily the Musk were able to ignore his attacks, Kyo wanted to train now more than ever. If they could ignore his punches, then so could Yuki by his reasoning.

"Has Shishou said anything about it?"

"He said it was up to you," said Cologne.

Kyo didn't have to think too hard about this. He needed to become stronger.

"I don't mind being a girl. Better than being a cat anyway," said Kyo after a few minutes of thinking.

Cologne poked Kyo in a specific spot on his chest.

Kyo rubbed it absently.

"What was that?"

"Cat's Tongue point. In order to return to a boy you will have to earn the Phoenix Pill from me, and I am a hard task master," said Cologne.

Kyo twitched at the name, but he had committed himself to this.

"I'm going to have to get used to using cold streams from now on aren't I?" he asked.

Cologne's evil smirk said volumes.

* * *

If Kyo thought his Shishou was hard, it was _nothing_ compared to what Cologne put him through in the first week. He bore it all with minimal complaining, because he had agreed to this. He had to get stronger if he wanted to be of any real use.

On the plus side, he did at least make _one_ friend out of it. Xian Pu had been impressed with the fact he was willing to train under her grandmother. And the fact he had been so quick to jump into the real fighting to help her sisters. Even after he left the Amazon village, he could at least write to his friend...even if they would need help translating the different brush strokes. Another good thing was that Kyo's Chinese was actually improving at a rapid pace, mostly because he was using it frequently.

Cologne used her cane like a pogo stick. It was amusing the first time, now it was somewhat annoying. She liked to hit him with it and force him to start over.

" _Remember boya, you have to earn the Phoenix Pill if you ever want to be a boy again,"_ cackled the old crone.

Kyo grit 'her' teeth. _"Yes Kon Lon-Sensei."_

Kyo had to remind himself why he put up with this. And the benefits of listening to an _actual_ Master of the ancient arts. His Shishou was good, but Cologne was leagues away from him.

With great age and senility came the power to humiliate the newer generation.

Cologne smacked him on the head.

" _I know what you're thinking boya, and I am_ not _senile."_

Damn old crone.

" _Keep that up boya, and I won't teach you the breaking point."_

Kyo straightened, and redoubled his efforts to drag the boulder behind him. He found out that his efforts in training would translate back to his true form, which was why he didn't complain nearly as much. It took him an hour instead of the hour and a half it would normally take him, even if he was panting pretty heavily.

" _You are improving. You couldn't have pulled that size boulder when you first came here,"_ said Cologne.

Kyo took a deep breath and straightened up, pride in the major strides he had made since coming here. All the pain and aches were entirely worth it for the progress he'd made.

Too bad Shishou returned to Japan once he was assured that the Amazons would help Kyo to the nearest air port once he had completed his training. Kyo had to maintain a once-a-week letter in order to stay, according to Akito, who could care less about him but wanted assurances Kyo _would_ come home eventually.

Cologne took him to another _massive_ boulder.

" _Please tell me I'm not going to have to pull that behind me next."_

Cologne chuckled.

" _Not quite sonny. No, what I'm going to teach you is how to break it with a single finger."_

She bounced over to an equally big rock, and with a single sharp jab broke it into several pieces.

" _If I hear you mastered this and used it to kill someone, I will hunt you down personally,"_ said Cologne. Kyo looked sick at the idea of using something that powerful on a human.

He might use it to break out of the Sohma main house if he failed to beat Yuki or Akito stuffed him in the 'special room' that the previous cat had lived in, but he could never see himself using this technique to kill someone with. Worse came to worse, he would turn into a girl permanently and hopefully live with the Amazons.

Better to be stuck in a form you weren't born with than to be imprisoned because of something you had no control over.

Kyo nodded, still a little green at the idea. Seeing he understood the importance of the technique, Cologne carefully walked him through the basics.

Depending on how well this went, she might teach him how to pick up chestnuts over an open fire. At the very least it would make him a little faster. She had noticed early on that for some reason, despite having the Cat spirit, Kyo often wasn't very attentive to his surroundings while fighting.

It was the reason he had ended up in the spring in the first place, not that he seemed to care overly much. Considering he was used to being turned into a cat when hugged or sick, this was nothing overly new to him.

She wondered what his Chi would look like once he learned how to unlock it, and if it would help his sixth sense which was underdeveloped for someone in his position.

Once he mastered the breaking point, she planned to do just that, to see if his Chi was blocked or if there was an actual reason it was so weak.

* * *

Kyo panted. Why couldn't he get this? He could sense the breaking point, but every time he went to jab at it, something seemed to repel him.

Finally he had enough for today.

" _Still no luck, Cat boy?"_ asked Xian Pu with some sympathy.

" _It's like every time I try to hit the breaking point, my strength falters and I just bruise my finger instead,"_ complained Kyo.

Xian Pu had an odd look on her face.

" _Let me see if I can figure out what you're doing wrong."_

Kyo went to the boulder. 'Her' stance was loose, his expression calm. For all appearances, the chi was balanced and the breaking point was visible to 'her'. Then when she went to hit the point, something seemed to go wrong, causing her chi to fluctuate and the technique to fail.

Xian Pu was very confused, because from what she saw Kyo was doing it right.

" _Perhaps Great-Grandmother would know why your chi is wrong."_

Kyo had enough for today, so they went to find Cologne.

* * *

Cologne was sitting with a cup of hot tea.

" _Kyo's chi has been blocked. I do not know who did it or why, but it does explain a few things. I always thought his sense was too underdeveloped for one of his affliction,"_ said Cologne.

The only person Kyo know who could _possibly_ know such things was also the one possessed by the Dragon spirit. Though he couldn't possibly think of a reason for Hatori to do this.

Cologne walked up to Kyo.

" _Stay perfectly still."_

The Elder used a precise series of jabs, each leaving Kyo feeling rather dazed. At the last one, there was a surge of _something_ that caused the teen to black out.

" _Great grandmother, what was_ that _?!"_

" _That, child was what happens when a master unblocks the Chi pathways of someone who has had them blocked for over a decade. Kyo shall have to rest for a day, so his body can adjust to the correct pathways. What I want to know is who the amateur was that did this and why,"_ said Cologne darkly.

It was clearly done using acupuncture needles by someone who had the _barest_ idea of what they were doing. It would have no doubt been very painful, and it had been done at _least_ ten years ago. And having seen the drive which Kyo took to training, Cologne had developed some fondness for the boy.

It was like he was trying to avoid something, but he refused to tell her why he was training with such drive. Trying to become stronger wouldn't explain it.

* * *

Kyo felt like crap.

Xian Pu noticed he was awake, seeing as how they had left him in the spare room of Cologne's home.

" _Ara, you're awake."_

" _What happened."_

" _Someone who didn't know what they were doing blocked your Chi. Great grandmother said you would have to take the day off so your body gets used to the way the pathways are supposed to be, because using any chi right now might be dangerous."_

Kyo winced as he sat up.

" _Considering I feel like I went another round with that idiot Mu Tsu after his jealously gets the better of him, I'm not going to complain."_

Xian Pu scowled. Mu Tsu was fiercely territorial for some reason, and took it badly whenever another guy got too close. Even though Kyo was mostly in girl form now, he still got jealous about the other teen 'stealing' Xian Pu.

The idiot just didn't get that she didn't like him, and she only saw him as a friend. Though that was fading quickly with the irrational behavior he had towards her.

He challenged her and lost. He had no right to 'claim' her.

Kyo looked terrible, but that was understandable since his chi had been forced to find new pathways for so long.

In order to take his mind off it, Cologne gave him a Japanese book on shiatsu points...the same thing that caused his chi to be blocked in the first place. It was a pretty basic book, something you could find at most herbal remedy stores, but Cologne had gone over it and fixed a few misconceptions the author had, despite being the most accurate of the lot.

If this happened twice, Kyo would at least have some idea how to 'fix' it long enough to get someone who knew what they were doing to undo it.

Cologne left him studying the book with an intense expression. He was furious someone had done this to him, especially since it was likely a family member.

And if it was Hatori, he didn't have to look too far to find the one who ordered him to do it. What Kyo couldn't understand was _why_ Akito had done it.

* * *

With the chi unblocked, Kyo mastered the breaking point in two days. And as if that wasn't enough, when Kyo was remembering why he had such trouble before, he ended up shooting out a blast of chi without thinking about it. Needless to say he surprised the Elders with it, since he hadn't intentionally been trying to use it.

Apparently Kyo was a natural at chi, so much so that he was actually a natural sensor, able to feel it around him without thinking about it.

Cologne had wondered why his perception was so weak. Apparently blocking his chi had dampened his natural ability towards it.

She was actually rather pleased when Kyo mentioned he preferred the Amazon village to his home in Japan. It certainly gave Cologne an opening to use when they found out Kyo was a natural chi user.

It was rarely used, but when an Amazon took an outsider an apprentice, it made them a part of the tribe by default. And Kyo was too interesting to let go.

From the sound of things, Kyo had about another year before the head of his clan decided whether he would be allowed to stay out of the main estate. Thanks to the breaking point, Kyo could leave and come back to the village and they wouldn't be able to follow.

Considering he openly admitted he wouldn't mind living in the village, the other Elders were less critical of her choice.

 _"Your time here at the village is, at the moment, coming to an end Boya. Before you go, you must earn the Phoenix Pill."_

" _How do I do that?"_

" _See this pit? Inside it are roasting chestnuts. You must gather them all without getting burned."_

" _But the Cat's tongue..."_

" _And that is why this is the test we generally put those who have been cursed by the springs to earn a Phoenix Pill. If you become skilled enough to retrieve the chestnuts, then you are worthy of the medicine. They are rather expensive and hard to make, which is why we have this."_

Kyo looked at the roaring flames.

" _It also doubles as an exercise for your speed. If you are fast enough to retrieve the chestnuts, then this...Yuki...will have great difficulty beating you in a fight,"_ added Cologne.

That got his attention.

Kyo tried several times to retrieve the chestnuts, but got some nasty looking burns for his troubles. It was pretty clear he would have to find a substitute before he tried his luck at the actual technique.

He had been there for three months, and the others had grown to like him as either a little brother or as a fellow warrior. He was one of them in every way that mattered, especially when Xian Pu let it slip Cologne was openly thinking of making him her apprentice.

One of the other cursed tribe members gave Kyo a hint of where to go to train. It was a roaring rapid with several colorful rocks. The trick was to get the rocks without being bitten by the odd creatures that inhabited them. You could easily tell which ones were inhabited because they were duller than the others.

Once h completed the training and got the pill, he was allowed to keep _one_ rock as a reminder of the pain he went through getting them.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Let's be clear before the Prince Yuki fans try to bite my head off. I do NOT hate Yuki, though Kyo does. There will be some MILD Yuki bashing, but that's more along the lines of Kyo expressing his disgust that he thought Yuki was worth the effort of using the Amazon techniques he learned to beat him. For the most part, they avoid each other and Kyo just uses his new curse to give Yuki headaches trying to figure out why he's NOT turning into a rat.**_

* * *

It took Kyo two weeks to figure out the trick of it, and another three days for the bite wounds to heal enough that he could try his luck. Whatever those things in the river were, they were _vicious._

Either way Kyo was quite pleased when he was given the Phoenix Pill. As great as not having to worry about turning into a cat was, he quickly learned that the pain all females went through once a month was _not_ something he enjoyed.

No amount of aspirin or Midol would _ever_ help him get used to bleeding between his legs once a month, or the cramps. He did find himself a lot more sympathetic towards the women though, whenever he knew they were on that time of the month.

Once he successfully got all the chestnuts, he went back to the rapids and found a rock that always seemed to end up in the bunch he picked from the stream. After the fourth time he spotted it, Kyo decided he would just keep the thing once the training was over.

Still, he was a bit disappointed that his training was over. He already knew he wasn't going to be able to pick up his schooling at his old school. For one thing it was an all-boy's school, and according to the others the Jusenkyo curse came with some weird water-attracting one tacked on.

Cologne did give him a list of contacts he could get in touch with if he had to leave the Sohma clan in a hurry. From what she heard of the current clan head, the child was mentally unstable and was prone to fits of extreme violence. They didn't like having things happen without their knowing and would react badly like a child throwing a tantrum.

She had the sneaking suspicion this 'Akito' was behind the fervor Kyo had while training in the breaking point. The other techniques he didn't tackle with such devotion or train well into the night.

* * *

It took Kyo three days to reach the town Yuki was currently living in. And close to a week to get to the first air port that could take him to Japan. Thank kami Xian Pu's dad had taken him there...he never would have found the place in so short a time considering how far out the village was.

On the plane ride home, Kyo read one of the many, many books he had found on the way to the air port. One of them had caught his interest if only because of the name. He didn't know what 'Neko Ken' was, but he figured it had something to do with cats.

Considering his curse, he could only assume he could learn it.

That is until he read _how_ one learned the Neko Ken. It sounded like a good way to traumatize the hell out of some poor bastard. Still, the more he read of the description, the more curious he got about duplicating it.

He wasn't liable to end up with a 'cat spirit' from this particular method, seeing as how he was *born* with one and could talk the cats down from trying to claw the crap out of him (not that they ever _had_ ), but it did sound like some of the attacks he had seen the _one_ time the bracelet fell off by accident after his chi had been unblocked. He had turned one tree into toothpicks, and had nearly given Xian Pu a heart attack.

Testing his cursed form revealed that for some reason only the Cat's "True Form" could use those attacks.

It sounded like he had the Neko Ken already, just without the fear of cats and the 'losing your mind' part. Though it wasn't something he would use regularly, as he couldn't get it to work while the suppressor bracelet was on. Considering how much damage it did to the few trees he practiced on, he considered it more of an ace in the hole.

Kyo stretched a little bit, before he headed to Shigure's house. Considering the school Yuki was going to, that was a safe bet since Shigure was the Dog. It was also far enough from the main house that Yuki would be left more or less alone, but still within the family enough to keep Akito off his ass. He had to admit, it was pretty smart. Didn't mean he liked Yuki though. The guy was just annoying.

He found Yuki in the house...good thing he waited until after school hours. He wanted to settle this now!

Kyo jumped to the roof and waited until he heard Yuki's voice and felt the chi of the Rat.

With a light use of the breaking point, he made a hole in the roof and landed neatly.

"Time to pay the piper Rat boy, and I'm here to collect."

"Funny, I thought he would send someone bigger," said Yuki, coolly.

There it was. That self-satisfied smirk like he was better than everyone. And that damn rat _wondered_ why he always picked a fight with him.

"That's right. You better get that tough talk out while you can, 'cause I'm about to wipe that stupid smirk off of your face!"

Kyo only vaguely heard someone behind him, but they were too close for him to avoid it without seriously injuring them. He ended up a cat before he had a chance to beat the shit out of Yuki. What the hell was a GIRL doing in Shigure's house?

Yuki looked annoyed. Shigure just looked tired...and Kyo? He was pissed.

"Dammit girl! Do you have any idea how stupid it is to get in between someone's fight without any training?!" shouted Kyo in his cat form. Normally he wouldn't care, but this was his first shot at beating that damn Yuki in _months!_

Kyo was in a foul mood for two hours. At least until he did something to piss of the Rat Prince enough to take him seriously.

Yeah, he did screw up hurting the girl, but to be honest she shouldn't have been in the damn house to begin with. He would apologize _properly_ once his mood calmed down...otherwise his best friend would skin his hide for being mean to a girl. A weak one at that.

"I'm only going to give you one free shot Yuki. But that's it."

"One shot is plenty for a stupid cat like you," said Yuki with a glare.

Yuki's punch sent Kyo flying, but nowhere _near_ as far as it could have before Kyo ended up with a second curse. And it didn't hurt for once.

His pain tolerance had jumped being around girls who could kick his ass and wouldn't hesitate to let him know it.

Kyo got up, cricked his neck twice, and then looked at Yuki with a serious expression.

"That was the only free shot I'm giving you Rat boy. Now it's my turn."

Kyo caught Yuki off guard with his speed, but he wasn't even going that fast.

Even Shigure was caught off guard.

In less than five minutes, Kyo realized with some shock that he had put Yuki on a pedestal he didn't deserve. The Rat was good, almost prodigy level, but he wasted his talents at the art. Unlike Kyo, it was more of a hobby than anything, and he had quit once he reached black belt.

Kyo felt disgusted. This was what he was trying to overcome? Yuki wasn't worth it.

Kyo was so mad that he didn't realize until it was too late that Yuki had thrown him into a nearby tree.

"All that training for nothing, Stupid Cat," said Yuki.

"Oh it wasn't for nothing, you damn Rat. I can't believe I wasted my time trying to beat you when I should have set my standards higher," said Kyo, getting up.

Yuki twitched.

"I can't believe I thought you were worth the time it took to get stronger. I need to get a better opponent, because you're not worth my time anymore except as a warm up," said Kyo, brushing off the leaves.

Yuki looked pissed now.

"Oh? I wasn't the one sent flying you stupid Cat," said Yuki, though inside he was in shock.

Kyo turned his head to give Yuki a _look_.

"You have all that talent and you've let it stagnate after hitting black belt. You're pathetic. I can't believe I even cared about trying to beat you."

Kyo walked to where the girl was and gave a polite bow.

"Sorry about the hit to the head. This jerk makes me so angry I don't think things through most of the time," said Kyo. That threw both of the other Sohma for a loop.

"Ah! It's alright! I'm fine, really!" said the girl.

"That's good. I know my friend in China would have kicked my ass if she found out I hurt a girl and didn't apologize, especially since you weren't my intended target," said Kyo. The teen looked at a confused Shigure.

"Send the bill for the roof to my account. I'm out of here," said Kyo, ignoring Yuki completely.

Kyo left to find his Shishou's dojo, mostly so he could find a new school that would accept his transfer papers.

"So that was Neko-san?" asked the girl, who's name was Tohru Honda. He was rough, but nice once he was calm.

"That was Kyo...but something's changed. He's actually matured in the four months he was in China," said Shigure thoughtfully. Something was different about Kyo. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to beat Yuki the first chance he had, but the way he acted it was like he didn't _need_ to beat Yuki.

Yuki was also surprised by the change. Normally their fights would end with Kyo eating dirt and pissed off, but the way he completely dismissed him...it rankled. Something about the way Kyo seemed to think he wasn't worth fighting pissed him off.

* * *

"WHAT?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN AKITO SAID I HAVE TO LIVE WITH SHIGURE?"

Kyo had found the dojo, but he had a rude wake-up call the next morning by his dad.

"Akito has apparently decided that as punishment for staying in China so long you have to stay with Shigure-san. He also said that you should think of it as a way to challenge Yuki-san before the deadline," said Shishou tiredly. He honestly agreed with Kyo. Yuki and Kyo had always gotten along like oil and water, mainly because Kyo was jealous.

Now that Kyo had realized his standards were too low, it would only _add_ to the tension between them. The only good thing was that Kyo at least had matured a little while in China, which made things easier.

"Oh kami...I have to go to the same school don't I?" said Kyo miserable. His father said nothing, but his face spoke volumes.

Kyo would have been pissed...except when he saw a glass of water an idea came to him. He might have to be around that damn rat for extended periods of time, but no one said he couldn't make Yuki's life a living hell in the process _and_ not have to worry about the curse.

"Kyo, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I'm going to make a habit of stopping by before school and make Yuki's life hell until he figures out the truth," said Kyo. This was a great prank, and best of all there was very little chance of Yuki figuring it out without someone telling him!

"If you stop by after classes I can make some tea for the both of us," Shishou offered. Kyo's smirk said what he thought of that idea. Yuki wasn't liable to figure out the trick until he learned about Kyo's curse. He had heard things about the fan club.

* * *

Yuki was in a foul mood. Kyo had been registered in his school and was transferring in today.

"We have a new transfer student. Come in please."

What walked in, however, was _not_ Kyo. She bore a remarkable resemblance to his cousin, but it wasn't him.

"Everyone, meet Kiyone Xia-long. She just transferred from China."

"Nihao!" said the girl.

Something about the way she looked directly at him with a smirk sent shivers of something terribly down his back. Like he was about to get a nasty surprise in the near future.

That panned out when shortly after lunch he ran into the new girl (who thankfully spoke fluent Japanese) and she had an evil look on her face.

"Can I help you?"

"Oh I wouldn't say that, damn Rat. More like I'm about to make your life a living hell with that fan club of yours and there's nothing you can do about it," said Kiyone.

Yuki tensed.

"What did you call me?"

"I called you a _rat_. Because I know what you are. You're the pathetic Prince of Rats and you stand atop a garbage pile with your rat friends," smirked Kiyone.

Yuki looked angry and very confused. He didn't know how she knew about the curse, but he hoped she had just called him a rat out of a coincidence.

He did get suspicious when she suddenly pressed against his back, much to the ire of his fan club...and he didn't transform.

" _Have fun explaining why you let the new girl get so close, Rat boy,"_ she snickered.

Tohru was confused. She had seen Yuki get hugged from behind, but he didn't turn into a rat.

"Ano... Yuki-san..." she asked on the way back to the house.

"I don't know how, but for some reason the curse didn't activate. The only time I've _ever_ seen that happen is if the female is another Sohma with the same curse," said Yuki, already guessing what she wanted to know.

"There are others?"

"Right now there are only three female Sohma with the Zodiac curse. The tiger, the boar and the horse. That girl was not one of them, so I have no idea how she was able to do that."

And the reaction of the fan club had been a headache to deal with. Especially considering he already had to push off one girl from him.

To top off his bad day, Yuki saw an annoying stray cat in Shigure's house.

"What are you doing here you stupid cat?" said Yuki.

"Blame Akito. He said as punishment for staying in China for four months I have to live here for at least six. And that the deadline still stands," said Kyo dismissively.

Yuki looked at Shigure.

"Akito told me the same when I spoke about Tohru-kun," said Shigure.

"Why here?"

"Even Akito knows that we get along like oil and water. He said something about how this would give me plenty of chances to meet the conditions for me to avoid that room before the deadline," said Kyo.

Yuki frowned. Even he knew of the fate that awaited Kyo once he left high school. Akito was planning to lock him up until he died. The only way out given to him was to beat Yuki in a fight...but Yuki never let him.

"That reminds me. Kyo-kun, your father dropped this off earlier."

Kyo looked pleased when he saw what was inside the box.

Yuki could care less what made the stupid cat happy. He was pissed Akito was forcing Kyo to live with them.


	4. Chapter 4

"Kyo-kun. A letter came in the mail for you," said Shigure.

"Where from?"

"China, apparently. I can't read a word of it," said Shigure.

Kyo perked up.

He took the post card that had a picture of Jusenkyo and started reading. He knew basic Chinese, but he was getting better. He still had to use a dictionary though.

"Xian Pu! I wonder why she's coming from the mainland."

"Xian Pu?"

"My friend from China. She lives with her great grandmother Kon Lon. According to this she has some business to take care of in Japan... EH?!"

"Kyo-kun?"

"What the hell? Why'd she do something as stupid as giving _that_ to an outsider? I can get why she's be pissed, but she should have double checked first!"

Kyo immediately went to the phone and called a number. It was an overseas one, so he would have to pay Shigure back for the extra fee.

Shigure heard Kyo speaking in an older version of Chinese, and from the sound of it something had happened to his friend.

When he hung up, Kyo looked more than mildly irritated.

"Crap... Shigure, tell that damn Rat and Tohru I'm going to have to take a leave of absence for a few days, possibly a week."

"Why?"

"Xian Pu has never been out of her village except to train with her grandmother, and apparently she started something she has to finish. The problem is she can barely speak Japanese, since I mostly used Chinese while I was there. She's going to need a translator and possibly someone who can clear up this mess without involving the cops. And I know Kon Lon-sensei would be pissed if her great granddaughter was arrested for a misunderstanding."

In modern day society, it would be hard for someone from a simple background to understand something as severe as Amazon law. Shampoo had crossed the borders solely to kill a Japanese citizen, and if not handled carefully could get her into some seriously hot water. Kon Lon had told Kyo what happened and asked him to at least clear up this mess before Xian Pu got into trouble because she could barely speak Japanese.

* * *

"Eh? Kiyone had to take a leave of absence?" asked Tohru. Yuki was clearly pleased by this, but none of the other students shared his clear enthusiasm.

"Apparently one of her family members had some business to take care of, but couldn't afford a translator. The teachers cleared it as long as she was only gone for a week," said Hana.

"I hope everything's alright," said Tohru.

"Who cares what that tramp does!" said one of the diehard members of the Yuki-fanclub.

Kiyone _lived_ to piss them off, and she did so by being too close to Yuki-sama and brushing up against him all the time.

She didn't actually _like_ Yuki, but she did it to annoy him.

* * *

" _Xian Pu, what were you thinking, issuing_ that _without double checking to see if they were cursed!"_ chastised Kiyone.

Xian Pu pouted.

" _She embarrassed me in front of the entire village, and that panda of hers ate most of the prize!"_

" _That's still... wait, a panda eating human food?"_

Kiyone stopped and put her hands on Xian Pu's shoulders.

" _Was the Guide there by any chance?"_

By guide she meant the villager who generally directed those that fell in to the Amazon village once he explained about the springs.

" _Now that you mention it, he did hightail it out of there with the girl and panda before I had a chance to follow through."_

" _Xian Pu, did it_ ever _occur to you that maybe the girl who beat you was a GUY who fell into the same spring_ I _did?"_

Xian Pu looked embarrassed that she hadn't thought of that. Then she perked up.

" _If it was a guy, then the kiss still applies. If not, then by law I have to kill her,"_ said Xian Pu.

" _Which was why I agreed to act as mediator to clear this up. Either way you know what's going to happen when you get home."_

Xian Pu made a face. Great Grandmother had warned her that by issuing the kiss she was going to suffer through a Jusenkyo curse as punishment, whether or not she succeeded. She had acted rashly and they would have to do some _serious_ damage control after this. There was a reason why the Kiss of Death wasn't issued much anymore unless the outsider had seriously insulted the village or the one issuing it.

" _So where exactly is this girl anyway?"_

" _Nerima."_

Now it was Kiyone's turn to make the face.

" _Oh kami, I've heard of that place. Furiken High's principal is supposed to be a complete nut job and his children are worse, not to mention the fact it's right next to Tomobiki! Still, it is one of the few districts that has more than a few martial arts schools."_

" _Speaking of martial arts, how have you been doing with those books great grandmother recommended?"_

" _I think I have the basics down, but I'm still not sure about my fingering in that memory-loss technique."_

" _If we have some time I'll see if you need to adjust anything,"_ said Xian Pu. She had mastered that much at least, and Kiyone was practically her sister/brother. She knew why it was so important to learn that particular sequence.

If her original curse ever got out, Kiyone would have to work quickly to erase the memories before the main house learned of it, or worse the press. Easier to learn how to erase memories than to deal with the hassle of that.

Xian Pu went into attack mode. The sooner she finished this, the sooner she could go home and her honor would be restored.

Kiyone sighed as the girl _destroyed_ a wall. Xian Pu had little to no subtlety when she was after something.

"Ranma, I kill!"

The pig-tailed girl vanished, but Kiyone's ability to sense chi told her exactly where to find the one Xian Pu had been looking for.

" _Xian Pu, calm down. Let's at least_ confirm _that the girl really_ is _one."_

Xian Pu scowled. She wanted this over with already.

Kiyone looked at the other girl and asked "Do you have any hot water?"

The blue haired girl gave Kiyone an odd look, before handing her a kettle of hot water.

Kiyone opened up a wrecked locker, revealing the pig-tailed girl and promptly dumped half the kettle's contents on her...turning her into a guy.

She turned to Xian Pu smugly _"I told you there was a chance it was a guy."_

Xian Pu stuck her tongue out at him.

This Ranma guy winced.

"What is going on?" asked the blue girl.

"Xian Pu jumped the gun and didn't think that maybe the one who beat her during an annual contest in the village was a _guy_ who fell into the same cursed springs I did and decided to do something that's rarely used anymore. Needless to say the Elders weren't happy about it."

"Wait...you're a..." started Ranma surprised.

Kiyone dumped the water, revealing his true form as Kyo.

"I happen to have another curse, but it's easier just sticking with the girl form to avoid the hassle. Look, is there anywhere we can clear this up without her getting arrested for destroying a wall?" asked Kyo simply.

"We can take this to my house," said the blue girl reluctantly.

Ranma's father didn't look happy about Xian Pu or "Kiyone" being there. Because of his other curse and the fact there would be four girls there, he didn't want to risk it. Unlike Ranma, Kyo was perfectly fine about turning into a female every once in a while.

However once they all had some tea Kiyone explained Amazon Law and why Xian Pu was there. Apparently it never occurred to her to check that the 'girl' that beat her was in fact a female. Considering they lived less than a day's walk from Jusenkyo and the guide had been with them at the time, she should have checked her facts first.

Still, the fact was that the Kiss of Death had been issued, and that Xian Pu had done it publicly. The fact she would be punished by being cursed once she returned home didn't help Ranma right now.

Which was when Kiyone came up with a temporary solution. Since this entire mess started because Ranma had beaten Xian Pu as a girl, then they would have an honor duel to see if Xian Pu had a chance to kill or not. At the very least it would prove Ranma was a superior fighter for the Elders enough that they _might_ forgive Xian Pu's hotheadedness.

Though he did warn the other boy that if he did win, then there was a very _high_ chance of Kon Lon showing up trying to add his genes to the Amazon bloodlines. There were very few martial artists able to beat someone of Xian Pu's level these days.

Kiyone even made sure to set up a wide-scope camera so Xian Pu could show the Elders she had judged the winner fairly.

Though the more she listened to this Genma idiot, the more she pitied Ranma.

After the fight, she gave Ranma her number...mostly just in case Kon Lon decided that he was worthy enough to marry Xian Pu. He would need the back up. Well that and Kiyone liked Ranma because he actually took martial arts seriously.

* * *

"So how did things go with your friend?" asked Shigure when he got back.

"Turned out to be a monumental misunderstanding. They had a second fight, this time with the agreement not to use the older customs on either side and she lost fairly. Hopefully that will be the end of it, though if not at least I'll be able to see the Elder again."

Nerima was a short train ride away, which meant if Kon Lon _did_ decide to pursue Ranma as Xian Pu's husband, he would be able to visit every weekend. Besides, he had hit it off with the other martial artist and Ranma seemed really happy to have made a friend who loved the art as much as he did...and wasn't batshit crazy.

Kyo could commiserate. Some of his cousins (cough Kagura cough) were just plain nuts.

He had a sudden chill, as if something troublesome was about to arrive. Kagura surely must have heard he was back by now, and living in the same house as an unrelated female... Kyo shivered.

Time to map out his escape routes just in case.

Kyo felt the ground shake and knew it had to be... _her_.

He finished his breakfast as fast as he dared and immediately tried to slip out the back door before Tohru opened the front. Shigure, the jerk, held the back of his shirt in his hand.

The second Kagura saw him, she went into her usual berserker mode.

This time though, Kyo had no intention of being turned into a punching bag for the boar-headed girl. He either dodged her punches or blocked them.

Kagura had a look of open surprise on her face, and Kyo took the opportunity to run like hell.

"Damn Kagura. Why the hell does she always cling to me like that when she knows I don't like it?" muttered Kyo. Just because she knew about what _that_ looked like didn't mean she was the best person to marry him. He didn't even _like_ her that way!

Seeing a stream through the forest, Kyo splashed himself and turned into Kiyone.

Until that boar-headed idiot cooled off, she wasn't going anywhere _near_ that house. Fortunately she didn't mind sleeping in the woods.

* * *

Kagura was looking for Kyo. It wasn't unusual for him to spend hours out in the woods, but she wanted to see him again.

What she found shocked her pretty good.

There was a _girl_ who looked like Kyo might have as a woman punching so fast that she couldn't see anything, and then moving on to kicks. And after five minutes she moved on to running around with a boulder that had to be three times her weight and as tall as she was! The thing that shocked her was that she did it with just a coil of rope and didn't seem to care that she was running around with something so big and heavy!

Even _she_ couldn't lift something that big! Let alone drag it for as long as this girl was.

When the girl took a break and took a long pull of a water bottle she had kept a safe distance away...then she looked straight at Kagura.

The girl took that as a chance to find out who this odd girl was...and to see if she had any advice to get as strong as she was. She hated it when other guys tried to pick her up...it was even worse when the only ones she could hug were family.

"Who are you and what are you doing on Sohma family lands?"

The girl winced, before she said "My name is Kiyone Xia-long, and Kyo-kun recommended this spot for some good training. He said it was unlikely anyone would particularly care so long as I didn't cause trouble."

Shigure wasn't likely to care unless something illegal happened or there was an accident.

"How are you able to do that? Pull the boulder so easily I mean?"

"I'm an honorary member of the Amazon tribe in China. This is nothing compared to some of the things the village leader Kon Lon put me through while I lived there. Besides...this is the only area I've found where I can do this sort of intensive training without someone bothering me about it or treating me like a side show," said Kiyone making a face.

She _had_ tried to find a spot to do strength training similar to what she did in China, but to her dismay the only thing she could find that would work was on the land Shigure lived on. So she picked a spot far enough from the house that they wouldn't hear the training, but close enough that she could get help in a hurry.

"Amazons?"

Kiyone grinned, hearing that interest in Kagura's voice and seizing on a chance to get the girl to leave her male side alone finally.

"Tell ya what, if you want to learn about Amazons and some of the tricks they use to get strong enough to beat up the guys you have to leave Kyo alone for a full week. And by leave him alone I mean not treating him like your forced husband and start treating him like you would a friend. He's actually spoken of you, you know and he's somewhat afraid of you."

Kagura looked downcast.

"He is?"

"He's always afraid you're going to throw boulders at him or something. He might tolerate being around you more if you didn't try to force your feelings on him or try so hard around him," said Kiyone. Inwardly she hoped _'Please let this work!'_

Kagura, to her relief, seemed to take that bit of advice to heart. Kiyone only hoped she got it through her thick head that Kyo would rather have her as a friend than as a wife.

It would make dealing with the girl so much easier for everyone.


	5. Chapter 5

Kon Lon, as Kyo had half expected her to, decided Ranma would be a fine husband to Xian Pu...though she did at least give Kyo a head's up that she was heading to Japan.

At this rate it might be easier on everyone if he moved to Nerima. Kami only knew Ranma was going to need the help. He managed to secure another week off school...his (or rather _her_ ) grades were good enough so long as he agreed to do make-up work while she was gone they would let it slide. Yuki couldn't be happier.

Kyo packed enough to last at least two weeks, and promptly took the train to Nerima. This was going to be a headache, he just knew it.

Ranma looked _relieved_ when he saw Kiyone.

Probably because she would actually listen to him and offer advice...and spar a little bit. The one time some nut called Kuno tried to flirt with her, she broke his arm in four places and several of his ribs were bruised, shouting she'd sooner date other girls than even _look_ at weakling like him.

Ranma had laughed himself to hiccups, because he was well aware Kiyone was in fact a _guy_. On the plus side, it forced Kuno to leave Kiyone alone.

"So how are you going to cover the fact you're coming to Nerima every week?"

"Kon Lon is my sensei. If anyone asks I'll just say I'm training to beat my cousin in Nerima, and I'll ride the train back."

"RANMA YOU PERVERT!"

Kiyone blinked, before she saw that Akane girl come at Ranma with a massive mallet. The two dodged without thinking, though Akane left a massive crater behind her.

"What the hell was that for!" shouted Kiyone.

"Kuno was going on about how you ensnared another...oh. Another pervert," said Akane. She scowled at Kiyone, who looked confused.

Kiyone looked at Ranma.

"Is she always like this?"

"She's always calling me a pervert if she hears I'm talking to another girl and then trying to cave my head in. If it weren't for the fact I have insane pain tolerance and build up a thick head, I would have been dead twenty times over."

Akane looked pissed about something, but before she could try to attack again, Kiyone acted first but using her skills at shiatsu. The girl was out cold in seconds.

"That girl needs to see a psychiatrist or something. And why do you take that kind of abuse anyway?"

"She's a girl, and not a very strong one. It's against my code to beat up someone who weaker than I am," shrugged Ranma.

"Okay that I understand, but the way she slanders you and abuses you isn't right."

From the look on Ranma's face, it was clear no one had said anything to Akane about her actions or the fact that Ranma was a saint for putting up with such abuse without a word. He didn't even _like_ the girl.

"So why exactly _do_ you live with them anyway?"

"It's an arranged marriage. Means I have to honor the agreement even if I don't like the girl or her school."

"And if something were to break that agreement? I mean you're pushing it because of that stunt with Xian Pu in China, but if another girl shows up with the agreement to marry you, that would make the contract void until you get the mess sorted out."

Ranma had a thoughtful look on his face. From what Kiyone understood, his father had literally dragged him out of schools so he had very little in the way of social interaction or a proper education. In fact the closest person he could confide to was Kiyone, and he lived in another district!

Still, at least Kiyone could give Xian Pu advice on how to at least get Ranma's attention without driving him further away. She would have better luck trying to be his friend first than forcing herself on him...just look at how he and Akane got along!

* * *

"Kiyone, more water for table five," said Kon Lon.

"Hai, Baba-sensei," said Kiyone cheekily, ducking at the staff aimed for her head.

Working at the recently opened Cat Cafe had all sorts of benefits. She got to train, earn some money that couldn't be traced back to her male side, and she got to spend time away from the Sohmas and spent time with some of her actual friends.

People who knew she was cursed, but didn't care.

Kon Lon had at least _listened_ to her advice, because she had Xian Pu infiltrate the class Ranma was in. It wasn't uncommon for her to get into a fight with Akane, mostly about the abuse she kept giving Ranma or the fact she called him an 'irredeemable pervert' without any actual proof.

To emphasize that fact, Kiyone had successfully found a way to keep Akane from using that mallet of hers. Apparently it was some form of rare chi skill that allowed you to hide objects...and Kon Lon knew of a way to temporarily block it for short periods, usually months. It was often used with the hidden weapons trick Mu Tsu favored.

Most Amazons that used the style Mu Tsu had as his main fighting technique generally learned the counter to the pressure points to avoid being hindered in a fight with someone that knew what they were doing.

Kiyone, however, showed Ranma how to apply it to force Akane to realize she was just being an abusive person. And without the threat of that mallet of hers, she had started to see a change in how people reacted to her.

She went from the 'most popular' girl in the school to the most feared. Apparently after seeing the size of that mallet of hers, most people pretended to like her out of fear.

And the less said about her cooking, the better. It should be classed as a biological weapon.

"Yo, cat girl," said Nabiki.

She rather liked Kiyone, who was blunt, if honest. She was also the only person who thought of a way to get Ranma out of an ill-made engagement with Akane. Why hadn't she thought of simply getting the thing annulled after the first 'fiancee' had shown up claiming Genma had promised his son to them?

Shampoo was the exception...Ranma had gotten himself into that mess and it was acceptable, if frowned upon, to have a mistress.

"Yo, Ice Queen," said Kiyone flipping Nabiki the bird. It was all in good fun. She dodged another swipe from the cane, not spilling a drop of the water as she poured it from an odd angle.

She loved Cat Cafe.

When the weekend came to an end, however, she felt somewhat miserable.

Kyo had mostly come to a truce with the damn rat, but he could barely tolerate a few hours with him. The only reason he tolerated being in the same school as him was because he could use the Sohma family curse against him.

She was on her way home from the cafe when she heard a commotion at the high school. Seeing all the cats run out Kiyone had a bad feeling about it.

What she found confirmed her suspicions. Ranma was in a tree screaming about 'stupid humans' and 'waking him up'. Of course no one other than Kiyone could understand him.

She sighed, and reached into her purse for her one indulgence that she wasn't entirely ashamed about.

She shook a cloth bag, getting Ranma's attention. The boy jumped down and promptly started rubbing against her leg. Kiyone bent down and started talking to him in Chinese.

It was weird, but she had found out that no matter _what_ language was used, cats still understood her perfectly. Even the ones in the Amazon village while he was speaking Japanese and a few words in English.

Ranma seemed to calm down considerably thanks to the fact Kiyone spoke perfect cat...well that and the fact Kiyone always had a cloth bag of cat nip to soothe her nerves didn't hurt either.

Akane stared at the scene.

"Who's the complete moron who forced Ranma into Neko Ken training?" asked Kiyone flatly.

Without hesitation, both the Tendo sisters pointed at Ranma's father. Kiyone growled and popped her knuckles.

"You and I are going to have words and it won't end well for you," she stated flatly.

Getting home could wait...anyone stupid enough to give their child a permanent phobia for an extremely dangerous and unpredictable technique that was rarely effective in the long run needed a beat down.

* * *

Kyo came home in a surprisingly better mood.

"What's got you so chipper?" asked Shigure.

"My teacher in Nerima said I had earned the right to a new technique because I beat the shit out of a panda earlier."

Shigure stopped what he was doing and looked at Kyo oddly.

"Why would they give you a new technique for beating up an endangered species?"

"Because the panda wasn't in fact a panda, but some dumb idiot under a curse who didn't think things through and did things that hurt his son in the long run. Ever heard of Neko Ken?"

Shigure shook his head. Kyo went into his room and found the translated version of the book he had been reading on the way back to Japan.

He handed it to Shigure. Five pages in and the Dog's eyebrows kept going up. He looked at Kyo incredulous.

"Surely no one is this stupid?"

"My friend in Nerima was seven when his dad found the book and started the training. Took six tries before his son found the pages were stuck, and by that time the damage was done. Some idiot surrounded him with cats, but luckily I was in the area with my bag," said Kyo.

Shigure snickered. He was well aware Kyo always had catnip on him, but he didn't advertise the fact.

"Anyway after finding out his dad was stupid enough to actually use this method, I beat the daylights out of him even though he tried turning into a panda to get out of his long overdue beat down. Sensei apparently agreed with me, because she agreed to teach me something new next time."

"Your teacher is a woman?"

Kyo pulled out a photo. Shigure recoiled.

"Ghoul is more like it. She's over four-hundred years old and she can still kick my scrawny ass all over the training hall while beating me over the head with that cane of hers," said Kyo. He was definitely amused at the look on Shigure's face.

"Ghoul is right..." he muttered.

"Tadiama," said Yuki. His eyes narrowed when he saw Kyo, but as per their agreement they pretended the other didn't exist.

Kyo went up to his room and pulled out the new book on Shiatsu points Kon Lon gave him after he demonstrated he could use most of those used in the first book. He wasn't anywhere near Xian Pu's level, but he was getting pretty damn close and he was ready to start training on using them in battle.

* * *

"Under-19 Martial Arts tournament?" said Kiyone.

"I sometimes watch the MMA stuff on TV. You said you like martial arts right? I figured it would be right up your alley," said Uotani.

"I've wanted to try that kind of thing, but I never felt skilled enough for one. I can barely keep up with my friend Xian Pu, and she's the best under twenty fighter in the village."

"Who names their kid Shampoo?"

"Xian Pu, not Shampoo. Though she's used to people getting it wrong."

Kiyone reached into her wallet and pulled out a picture.

"This is Xian Pu, her great grandmother Kon Lon and some of the other girls."

"Holy crap she looks like a ghoul!" said Uotani.

"She's over four hundred and the village leader. Xian Pu is in training to take over once she's old enough. Still... I wonder if Kon Lon-sensei would even _let_ me participate in something like that."

* * *

"So you're interested in the Mixed Martial Arts tournament coming up next week."

"Since I've come to realize Yuki isn't nearly as good as I thought him as, and Ranma is at a level too high to currently compare to without some serious training that would cause my grades to slip, I figure this might be a better idea. It would give me a chance to see where my level is right now and show me where I need to improve."

Kon Lon smoked her pipe, her eyes half-lidded.

"I may approve of this...if you can master the basics and the intermediary shiatsu points three days before the tournament. I will also get you started on the basics of the technique I mentioned if your skill and aim improves," said Kon Lon finally.

Kiyone's face brightened up considerably. She had never tried to fight in a tournament, figuring if she couldn't beat Yuki there was no way she'd be able to win one, let alone get very far.

Right now her goal was to at least match Ranma Saotome. She didn't have to surpass him, but she wanted to at least provide a decent rival for him that wasn't completely insane or have some grudge against him.

"For now you are to complete your shift and then work with Xian Pu."

"Hai, sensei!" said Kiyone, bowing.

* * *

"Tickets for a tournament?" asked Tohru.

"Kiyone is going to be a participant in the MMA tournament in two days, but I've got some intense training I have to do so I can't go. I figured you could take some of your friends with you to cheer her on for me," said Kyo.

"You're not seriously suggesting Tohru-san go watch something as violent as a martial arts match are you, stupid cat?"

Kyo ignored him to look at Tohru.

"I heard Kiyone was going to be in a tag-team battle with a friend of hers from Nerima."

Ranma had agreed to stay in girl form so they could do tag-team battles...mostly because Kiyone had an idea of how to help him with his Neko Ken problem. Well that and Kon Lon had told Ranma if he could pull it off as a girl, then she would teach him some of the same techniques she had been teaching Kyo. He wasn't about to back down from a challenge like that.

"It sounds fun!" said Tohru.

"How many tickets did you get?"

"Five. One for Tohru and her two friends. The fifth one is for Kiyone's friend Xian Pu, but the last one is up for grabs. Though if I were you, Rat Prince, I'd leave chivalry at the door when you meet Xian Pu. She won't like it if you treat her any less than a warrior," said Kyo.

It would be hilarious to see the Rat Prince taken down hard by Xian Pu. Kyo hoped he got to see it.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hello everyone! Welcome to the forty-fifth Mixed Martial Arts Regional championship! For those of you who aren't familiar with the rules, don't worry! We will be displaying them for every match up to the semi-finals!"

On the big screen were four arenas. Each had a different logo on the floor of the cage.

"For newcomers, let's explain how each section works. The first is the Single's tournament, where individual fighters fight one-on-one matches until only one fighter remains! The winner of the singles will automatically be given a pass to the national tournament. Next we have double battles, where teams of two will fight until one team is taken out. Please note that a team may be declared a winner even if their partner is taken out. The third ring is the Round Robin match, where teams up to four compete in a battle royal until only one remains standing. The final ring is for the Weapons tournament. This is a ring where only registered weapons can be used, and guns are a big no-no. Blades are allowed, but must be blunted or kept sheathed. We don't want any fatalities here!"

The big screens changed to show the tournament listings.

"Now everyone, here is the listing for each tournament. For a specific style, check the main lobby. There will be a fifteen minute intermission between each match, so you'll have plenty of time for restrooms or snacks! And if you miss a match, don't worry! Recordings are shown in all hotels in the city and are up for sale after the tournament. Contestants will also automatically receive a free copy of their matches to better prepare for next year. Now, let's take a look at the listings!"

"Ah! There's Kiyone-chan!" said Tohru.

"Kiyone, fight!" shouted Uotani.

"Why did I agree to come here again?" muttered Kagura.

"Because Yuki thought Tohru would be around a bunch of men, but for some reason chickened out at the last minute," said Hanajima.

Yuki would have gone, but he quickly realized with how enthusiastic Uotani was he might transform around the girls by accident. So he made a quick compromise and called Kagura to take his spot, since it wouldn't really matter if she bumped into one of the girls, and was violent enough to do damage to any men trying something.

"Hey look, it's Kiyone!" said Tohru.

"Who's that red-head?" asked Uotani.

"Saotome Ranma. Heir to the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu style martial arts. She's also a guy," said Xian Pu.

"EH? With a bust like that?"

"Close to Joketsuzoku is cursed springs. Whoever falls into spring turns into whatever died there many year ago. Cold water activates the curse, but hot water reverses it. No cure found," said Xian Pu.

Kiyone had claimed Joketsuzoku as her home town and that she had been homeschooled there. Kon Lon backed her up, so the school had accepted her transfer and no one was the wiser. It wasn't like they could hack the computers of the village when there were none.

And since the village had heard of the name she gave her female half, they would back up that she came there. The irony being that Kyo first became Kiyone at the village.

"So...he fell into a spring where a girl drowned and now become a girl when wet?" said Uotani incredulous.

"Happens more than you would think," shrugged Xian Pu.

"Okay, this I would have to see for myself," said Uotani, not believing it for a minute.

"I think I remember which room Kiyone will be in between matches," offered Tohru.

"It would be irresponsible of us not to cheer them on personally if they make it past the first round," said Hanajima.

The initial fights were little more than appetizers for the semi-finals. For the most part the fighters would have three matches before they were done for the day, and if they impressed the judges of their particular tournament, then even if they lost they might be able to fight in an exhibition match and still earn a spot in the nationals. They had to be really impressive though.

" _Fighting for the Nerima District: Saotome Ranma and Xia-Long Kiyone."_

"Eh? But I thought Kiyone-chan came from our district?" asked Tohru.

"Tournament rules state that partners must be from same district. Is unusual, but not against rules for fighters to claim a different district than the one they live and go to school in...so long as their teacher or dojo originates from the same district as their partner," explained Xian Pu. "Great grandmother is Kiyone's teacher, and we currently live in Nerima."

"Is your great grandmother really that old woman with the cane?" asked Uotani. Xian Pu nodded. Uotani grinned. "I heard she's a tough old broad."

Xian Pu nodded again, with a pleased look on her face.

"It's starting!" said Tohru.

She wasn't that interested in fighting personally, but that didn't mean she couldn't cheer on Kiyone. She got along best with Uotani, and by extension she got along with Tohru and Hanajima. She was gruff, but really nice once you got to know her.

"Sugoi... I knew Kiyone was good but this..."

"Kiyone is natural chi fighter. Ranma is very speedy and quick in girl form," said Xian Pu.

"Natural chi fighter?" asked Hanajima.

"Kiyone born able to read flow of chi. Is very rare these days, but she has been studying hard to learn how to use her natural ability," said Xian Pu.

Kiyone's fists blurred, and without warning her opponent slumped asleep.

"What was that?" said Kagura.

"Shiatsu technique," said Xian Pu.

"Shiatsu?"

"Under the skin are certain points that if use can have different effects on the human body. For example you can put someone to sleep...or in Kiyone's case learn how to manipulate memories with the right herbs and pressure points."

On the screen for the tag-team fights, Ranma and Kiyone's face came up.

" _ **Winner: Saotome Ranma of the Anything Goes Martial Arts and Xia-Long Kiyone of the Joketsuzoku."**_

The fans watching the match cheered.

For the first round, Kiyone and Ranma dominated their opponents, though it took Ranma a couple of simple mishaps to get used to fighting with a partner. Fortunately Kiyone was generally easy going with her friends, and she did her best to avoid getting in Ranma's way.

* * *

Hanajima got a bucket of hot water to throw on Ranma to see if she really did become a guy. Xian Pu had a sneaking suspicion today was going to be full of surprises, and not just for Hanajima.

One moment Kiyone and Ranma were chatting about their next match in the second round, the next they were drenched in hot water courtesy of Hanajima.

"Holy crap. She really does become a..." started Uotani...before she realized someone else had changed.

Where Kiyone had been was now a very familiar orange-haired teen. Familiar to Tohru and Kagura at any rate. Kagura actually had a comical expression on her face when she realized what happened.

"Kyo...kun?" said Tohru.

Kyo sighed.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted."

"Is that the cousin you were making fun of while you were in curse form?" asked Ranma, pointing at the lone guy.

"No. What, did that dumbass Rat chicken out at the last minute?" asked Kyo to Tohru and Kagura.

Kagura nodded numbly.

"He realized he would be around girls too close for comfort and the risk was pretty big, so he asked me to step in for him."

"What a wuss. Bet you anything he'll be all over Tohru like a hawk once she gets back. Oh, and I brought the 411 just in case."

"You did bring...?"

"Of course I did, but I'm not going to risk having it get out so soon," said Kyo. He reached for the water pitcher and poured two glasses, which he dumped on both of them. "Kagura. If you want answers you can wait until we're alone."

* * *

 _Later that night on top of the hotel for the contestants..._

Kyo was leaning against the railing looking at the city below. Kagura walked up, unsure how to react to the boy she had a crush on for years.

"Kyo...kun?"

Kyo turned and sighed.

"I fell into the spring of Drowned Girl by accident when the guide showed up at the worst possible time and shouted something about a curse. Naturally it got my attention but Shishou's punch sent me flying. The Amazons agreed to let Kon Lon-sensei take me on as apprentice, which means I automatically become part of the tribe, even with a curse."

"But why are you going around as a girl?" asked Kagura. She was somewhat hurt Kyo had tricked her like that.

"Do you know what happens when I'm hugged by a boy in girl form?"

Kagura shook her head.

"Nothing. I still transform if the bracelet is removed, but for the most part absolutely _nothing_ happens. Though as a guy I do avoid girls just in case, since I still transform anyway."

Kagura's eyes were wide.

"You... You found a cure?"

"We tested it extensively. I'm more or less _free_ of the Zodiac curse as a girl. Though we're not entirely sure what would happen if a girl fell in. odds are you'd have to be in curse form in order for it to take, but I'm hoping the springs might be the cure for the clan," said Kyo.

"Why haven't you told Akito about this?"

"Because Akito is a control freak. How do you think he'd react if he found out that there was a way to cure us and get us out of his thumb? Do you remember what happened to Hatori?" asked Kyo flatly. Kagura winced. Hatori was partially blind in one eye because Akito went ballistic.

Kyo sighed.

"Another reason I don't talk about the cure is because of the fact most of the clan hates me. How do you think they'd take the fact it was the Cat and not the Rat who found the solution? Not a perfect one, but something that is strides away from the way we've been forced to hide our curse?"

"What is 411?" asked Kagura. She had been wondering what that odd phrase was.

"Formula 411 is a concoction of herbs that when used with shiatsu points can erase or lock memories. I brought it just in case Tohru's friends found out about the curse by accident, so Hatori won't have to do it and Akito won't remove her from the house," said Kyo. "The formula to reverse it is 911, ironically enough. I've mostly got the points memorized, but if anything happens odds are I'd have Xian Pu do the erasing to insure it's done right."

Kagura stared, but inwardly she was relieved.

"You're not going to erase my memory are you?"

"Not unless you blab to Yuki about the fact that the girl who's been annoying the hell out of him in class is in fact the same Cat he hates so much," grinned Kyo mischievously. Kagura giggled. It was funny to hear someone actually rattle Yuki's cage.

"You know, it was pretty impressive how you fought today with your friend. Almost as impressive as that boy with the umbrella beating out all the others with his sheer...What?"

"Boy with the umbrella?" repeated Kyo dumbly. There was only _one_ teen their age who could beat someone with his umbrella, but his infamous directional sense would have kept him from coming...or he would have gotten lost and been forced to forfeit.

"Hibiki Ryoga," said Kagura, wondering why Kyo had the look of someone about to laugh their ass off.

"Oh this is too funny. Ranma has to hear this!" cackled Kyo. He'd met Ryoga a few times. The boy got along as well as most did, but he hated Ranma for sticking him with the Jusenkyo curse...among other things.

Ryoga was infamous as the perpetually lost boy, because he had to be lead everywhere otherwise he would end up in Hokkaido or Osaka instead of the bathroom! He was as bad as Hatsuharu was!

Ranma, predictably, laughed his ass off when he heard.

It was pretty clear someone had to be leading Ryoga to and from the arenas, otherwise he would have gotten lost at this point.

Tournament rules forbade competitors from asking about the room numbers of others, but only if they were participating in the same arena.

Kyo got Ryoga's hotel room and decided to bring Ranma and Kagura with him. Odds were they get a good laugh later.

And if not...well who would be better for the girl cursed with the Year of the Boar than a guy who had all the stubbornness of a pig and was cursed to turn into one? At the very least Kagura would be able to understand what he was saying in pig form!

Ryoga wondered who was knocking as his door this late at night. At least until he saw a familiar pigtail.

"Dammit Ranma, what do you want?"

"Relax P-chan. I brought snacks and friends. At least ones that would understand the curse," said Ranma with amusement.

He didn't bring the snacks, but Kyo had.

Ryoga reluctantly opened the door.

"Yo," said Kyo, holding up some bag from the snack station in the lobby. Behind him was a girl who looked somewhat nervous.

They settled in on the spare bed. Apparently Kyo's guess had been right...Ryoga had accidentally signed up for the tournament and warned the officials about his sense of direction...so every morning someone would lead him to the arena where he would stay put until his matches. Then someone would insure he got to the hotel room without getting 'lost'.

Apparently this wasn't the first time a Hibiki had attended a regional tournament.

"So what do you want?"

"Before we say anything, this is my cousin Kagura. Like you she can turn into a pig, though in her case she was born with this curse. I have one like it, but it would upset Ranma to a point none of us want at the moment," said Kyo.

Ryoga looked at the blushing girl with wide eyes.

"You have the same curse?"

"Similar, not the same," clarified Kyo.

"Ano... the requirements to change shape are different. I don't need water to change, and the transformation has an unstable time limit before it reverses," she explained.

"Ironically it looks like the Jusenkyo curse is the closest thing to a cure for our curse," said Kyo.

"Ah, the hell with it," announced Ranma suddenly, as he dumped a glass of water on Ryoga.

One minute he was there, the next there was an angry black piglet squealing furiously at him.

"Well there's hardly any call for such language," commented Kagura.

The pig stopped squealing and looked at her in disbelief.

"Did I forget to mention that anyone with our particular curse can speak to the animal they're cursed with?" said Kyo.

Kagura picked up the pig and hugged it.

"He's adorable!"

Ryoga blushed, but it was hilarious to Kyo.

"Told you she'd be a perfect match for him," he muttered.

"Yeah, but normally he goes for the stubborn ones."

"Just wait. She once threatened to kill me if I didn't agree to marry her when we were kids while holding a large rock over her head. And she can scare the crap out of anyone once the mood hits her," said Kyo flatly.

On the plus side, Kyo had at least set the beginnings of an unusual relationship between Hibiki and Kagura. He definitely believed those two were a match made in hell.


	7. Chapter 7

It was on the way back from the snack bar on the third floor that trouble reared up it's ugly head. A blond pretty boy with blue eyes pinned Kiyone to the wall with a smirk she had seen too often in the other boys.

This was a playboy who wasn't shy about what he wanted...and from the look in his eyes she'd bet money that this idiot had heard of the Amazon tribal law.

Unfortunately he was in the same arena she had picked, which meant that she couldn't fight him off without getting kicked out. A fact this idiot apparently _knew_ and took advantage of.

Fortunately, she did have one way of getting him to back off.

Xian Pu had a cell phone, and unlike Kiyone, she wasn't part of the tournament and had her sights set on someone else.

At the very least she could erase his memory of what Kiyone did next.

One minute the bracelet was on, the next she slid it off and hit a pressure point knocking this idiot out cold. Once the transformation reversed, she called Xian Pu.

This idiot had accosted her knowing she couldn't fight back without getting into trouble and thrown out. Odds were he was planning on it, hoping to score a little 'extra' in the process thinking she would have no way to defend herself.

He was just unlucky to pick the wrong victim with an extra perk.

Good thing Kiyone knew how to hold a grudge and had the perfect plan to put this bastard in his place.

* * *

"Hey Ranma, doesn't your Anything Goes specialize in aerial combat?"

"That and running away or stealing," agreed Ranma. His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"That blond idiot in our next fight. He tried to pull something knowing I couldn't fight back without getting us kicked out. I want to send him a message reminding him that a martial artist doesn't use his skills to force himself on helpless women," said Kyo flatly.

Ranma's eyes darkened. He hated people like that, who used martial arts for their own gain and abused others with it.

"Here's what we'll do. I'll send that blond fool into the air where his fancy footwork won't save him, and you can use me as a launch pad to pummel the bastard. It won't be very high, so you'll have to work fast. In the meantime I'll deal with his partner unless you want both," said Kiyone.

"Both. His partner can't be that ignorant of that blond idiot's stunts, and if he is he's twice a fool," said Ranma. "You'll deal with them if they survive me and we'll be the tag-team to beat."

"You'll take the sky..." said Kyo, grinning.

"And you'll take the earth," said Ranma holding out his fist. Kyo bumped it with a grin.

"I think I have the perfect name for if we win the regionals," said Kyo.

"What?"

"Heaven and Earth. You do better in aerial combat, so I can send people flying into the air because of all the strength training exercises I do. And if they survive they have to deal with someone who regularly drags boulders around several times their own weight and knows shiatsu," said Kyo.

Ranma nodded. It was a vicious tag-team combination that would be difficult to beat, especially if they actually won the right to nationals.

Training to be the best was one thing, but it was entirely another to have actual _proof_ you were the best. To have martial artists from around the world acknowledge you as an equal and not as some cocky bastard with not enough training under your belt.

His father claimed these competitions were worthless...but Kyo had needed a partner and felt they would have the best chance of _winning_ if they did it together.

Kon Lon, who had listened outside the door, was furious. However she trusted her apprentice to restore the honor as much as she could while she was competing.

Kiyone could have killed the man if she wanted, instead she was determined to do it the Amazon way. Fighting the man fairly in the arena he dishonored with his actions. Even if he won there would be no prize gained. If Kiyone succeeded she would have gained the right to stand as a full member of the tribe...for the moment she was still just a probationary one considering she wasn't an actual woman.

Kiyone needed this.

* * *

Kiyone stared at her opponent with absolute disgust in her eyes, and Ranma wasn't much better. His partner, looked smug, as if to prove that women were lesser beasts.

They, along with the audience were in for a nasty shock once the fight was over. Kon Lon had agreed it would serve them right. Besides, there wasn't any rules about deliberately fighting while under a well known (if annoying) curse. It wasn't like people didn't know about Jusenkyo after all.

The blond fool, who she never bothered to learn the name of, actually dared to leer at her.

Unfortunately for him, she had something else in mind. And so did Ranma...who became a probationary member of the Amazon tribe with the agreement that if he did marry Shampoo he wouldn't be tied down the village...much like Kiyone was. It wasn't that unheard of for a warrior to travel and not be tied down, so long as he didn't dishonor the tribe.

Kiyone heard the names over the speaker, and the moment the match started she promptly pointed that blond fool and declared loudly for the entire stadium to hear "Hanamura Daisuke, I call you a disgrace and a dishonorable bastard. Let us see who's style is superior and restore the honor you tried to take from me when you attempted to accost me last night knowing that I couldn't fight back without being disqualified."

Almost immediately the entire stadium went dead silent. The other matches were paused after that declaration as every screen turned to the tag-team arena.

This was an honor duel, and it was well known Hanamura had a bad habit of going after the weaker opponents the night before to force them to forfeit or be disqualified for fighting outside the arena. And if the opponents were women...well. He wasn't very well liked for a reason. The fact someone was actually calling him out on it and willing to stake their school on it was pretty big...as Uotani explained it all to the other three, particularly Tohru.

If she lost she would have to live with the shame until she fought him again. Some people quit their school because of it.

"Bring it on Xia-long. I know about the Joketsukoku tribes. If I win you'll be mine," sneered Daisuke.

"Not in this duel sonny. This is a matter of honor, not of marriage. If you lose she'll have to pay the price of it until she can settle the debt," said Kon Lon from the area where the teacher sat. "Even if you did win you wouldn't earn her hand."

"Che. So she'd just end up cursed like every other weakling."

Kiyone said nothing. There was no point in revealing she was in fact a he cursed to become a woman. It would come out regardless of the outcome once this fight was over.

In the depths of her core, Kiyone could feel her chi gathering. She reinforced her body...women were not as durable as men when it came to taking a punch, but they were much quicker and far more flexible. And she needed the speed.

Without even a sound, she darted forward, catching the blond fool and his friend entirely off guard. She had little reason to reveal her full speed, but here she decided to put him in his place.

He guarded against her nimble fingers...he wasn't expecting her to launch the both of them several feet in the air, almost above the safety netting. Ranma used Kiyone's bent back as a launch pad to put proof of the Anything Goes style. In the air, she was like a falcon. Her punches left bruises and broken bones in their wake.

The two crashed, hard, onto the arena floor. Their faces were black and blue. And their bodies had clearly taken a nasty beating. And if they were even inclined to get up, then Kiyone would be there to remind them of what a bad idea it was.

The crowd was silent, but then those who knew of Hanamura's reputation in the circuit started roaring with approval.

* * *

Kon Lon lead Kiyone and Ranma to the room where Hanamura and his teacher were. It was time to disabuse these fools that the only reason Daisuke lost was because he took it easy on her.

The moment he saw her, he snarled. Then his fury turned to confusion and utter shock when Kiyone dumped water on herself and turned into a man.

"Next time you accost someone in a hallway, make sure you know what you're getting into. Because if I see you again I won't be so nice as to let you live," warned Kyo.

Realizing he had fought a _man_ who was cursed to become a woman, Daisuke Hanamura never took up his art again. Kyo had broken him and forced him to think.

* * *

Kiyone and Ranma beat their next opponents, though without the fan fare of the beginning.

Though they did get more respect for how soundly they had beaten Hanamura, who wasn't well liked in the circuit for his habits.

Ranma actually flushed with the praise once the match was over. He wasn't used to being complimented for doing something any honorable martial artist would...or the fact his style hadn't been seen properly in years.

Despite their bellyaching, neither Soun Tendo or his father Genma had bothered to advertise the Anything Goes school like they were supposed to, for all they were supposed. Even if Soun had a dojo, it was rarely used and was costing them money.

Coming to the tournament at the request of Kiyone was sounding like a better and better idea the longer they fought.

"Now to announce the finalists of each arena!" said the cheerful announcer.

Tohru cheered along with everyone else when Ranma and Kiyone's name was called for the doubles arena...though Kagura cheered extra loud for someone named Ryoga.

* * *

Kon Lon had invited the girls for a quiet night of celebrating the fact Ranma and Kiyone had gotten into the finals. Along with the boy Kagura had been cheering for.

"Kampai!" said Uotani, her blond hair held back by a hair tie.

"Kampai!" said the others.

The only one drinking anything alcoholic was Kon Lon, as the others were either too young or had to fight in the finals tomorrow. Or in the case of Kagura, who wanted a clear head while she flirted with Ryoga. She was rather blunt in that way.

Tomorrow would be the best test of their skills. Win or lose, Ranma, Ryoga and Kiyone should be proud to make it this far on their first try. Especially Ryoga and Ranma, who never had a chance to compete for recognition instead of just fighting challengers who happened to be nuts...or in the case of Ranma, fiancees he didn't want.

Kiyone and Ranma were going to spend the day working on their 'heaven and earth' attack. It was pretty simple to explain.

Kiyone would throw the victim high enough to where Ranma would be waiting. Ranma would show off his skills in mid-air combat, and the victim would fall back to the earth where Kiyone would be waiting if they survived the first assault. The trick was that Ranma would use Kiyone as a launching platform just so their opponents wouldn't realize he didn't _need_ one. That way if they tied Kiyone up so she couldn't act as a way for him to get up in the air, he could surprise them and reign hell from above.

It was a sneaky strategy, and one his pops would have approved of had he been told about it.

As it was, Kiyone was the closest thing to a real friend Ranma had.

However, because the fights were televised (along with the names of the fighters) they had a situation on their hands.

A _ton_ of fiancees had come out of the woodwork claiming Genma had promised his son to them.

Thankfully for their sanity, Nabiki had come along with Ranma partly because Akane had refused, but mostly because Kiyone had mentioned there would be heavy betting at the arenas.

In exchange for a few side bets, Nabiki had more than quadrupled what she could have made in a year in Nerima off Ranma's fights.

And considering Nabiki was practically a lawyer already, just without the degree or the official papers, Kiyone had been quick to call her in to clear this mess up.

* * *

Nabiki all but crashed into the couch.

"That was a mess and a half. Thank kami that none of them had any _official_ documents that would make the engagement ironclad," said Nabiki.

Kiyone handed her an ice pack, which she put on her head to stave off the headache Genma had caused them.

Fortunately she now had all the ammunition she would need to annul the engagement to her little sister. Genma had screwed up big time, either unaware or apathetic to the fact that there were actual laws about polygamy in Japan. There were only a set number of wives allowed, and he had far exceeded it with his actions.

The only _legal_ marriage Ranma had in his name was the one to Shampoo, and that was because he had worked out an agreement with her grandmother that had a little wiggle room for extra females.

Besides, Akane was _far_ too immature to marry her so-called fiancee right now. She had to get over her boy-hating phase and the fact she liked to abuse anyone stupid enough to date her first. And the less said about her cooking, the better.

"So does anyone have any objections to me beating the shit out of Genma when we get back? Or using him as a test subject for our Heaven and Earth attack?" asked Kiyone.

"No!" said Nabiki jokingly.

"The no's have it. Genma is going to get his ass kicked when we get back to Nerima," said Kiyone.

"Remind me to put that stupid panda under a pressure point for you and we can use him as a test dummy for your collaboration techniques," said Kon Lon.

The two fighters looked pleased at the idea.


	8. Chapter 8

The final match. Nabiki had put her entire winnings from the other matches on the two to win. She also added most of Kagura's savings for Ryoga to win. The boy had decimated most of the weapons arena with his absurd strength. What he lacked in skill he made up for in pure stubbornness.

Kon Lon made a few bets of her own.

Kiyone and Ranma bowed respectfully to their opponents. These two had won through skill and honor. There was no shame bearing their backs to show mutual respect to a fellow martial artist. To their surprise, their opponents did the same.

Kiyone and Ranma agreed to leave their Heaven and Earth attack as their ace in the hole.

Fists blurred, kicks were only marked by their passing damage, and above all the two 'girls' worked as a well-oiled machine.

Then everything took an odd turn, as the water attracting curse of Jusenkyo kicked in. One of the pipes above the arenas burst without warning into the doubles ring. The problem was that the water was heated just enough above room temperature to activate the 'reverse' point of the Jusenkyo curse, mostly because of all the heat from the bodies and the broken A/C had heated up the pipes above for the sprinkler system.

Sprinklers generally didn't care about whether the water was cold or not when there was a fire.

Needless to say almost everyone was shocked when Kiyone and Ranma became _Kyo_ and Ranma. Fortunately Kyo had anticipated this, because they had marked their gender as male while signing up and had Kon Lon back them up on the fact they were cursed.

In a martial arts match, it didn't matter whether or not you were a man or woman, all that did matter was if you could fight or not.

"What the hell?"

Kyo sighed.

"Have either of you heard of Jusenkyo in China?"

The man's partner nodded.

"The legendary cursed springs. If you fall into one you end up cursed to turn into whatever drowned there 'X' amount of years ago," he replied.

Kyo hooked a thumb at Ranma then himself, before saying "We fell into the Spring of Drowned Girls nearly a year ago."

"Ah. Does it impact your ability to fight?" asked the man who had cursed.

"Our girl form is faster and more flexible, but our natural form is much stronger and more durable. Outside of that, not really," said Ranma.

"Good to know. Shall we continue or do you want to activate the curse?" asked his partner.

Kyo looked at Ranma, who shrugged.

"Might as well fight anyway. Not like we were going to use our girl forms in the nationals if we won," said Ranma.

The two got back into a stance, and the fight resumed while the announcers explained about Jusenkyo and the fact Kiyone and Ranma were born male.

The change was immediately noticeable. Where they were speed demons as girls, they were powerhouses as men. Their punches were that much more painful.

Their opponents were impressed.

"One last all or nothing attack?" they suggested. Kyo looked at Ranma, who nodded.

Kyo barely managed to get within their defenses to send them into the air, where Ranma used his bent friend as a launch pad to deliver an aerial assault.

They crashed, hard, but managed to get up. It was clear there was still some fight left in them. Kyo met them close up, delivering a vicious uppercut to the older one and a nasty left kick to the younger. His legs were strengthened by all the boulders he regularly dragged behind him on Shigure's estate. It was almost the equivalent of being kicked by a particularly strong draft horse.

"Winner, Kyo Sohma and Ranma Saotome!"

The two boys high-fived. They were gong to the nationals!

They thought the chaos of the fights had ended with the fights and winning their final match. They couldn't be more wrong.

Thankfully this chaos wasn't nearly as migraine-inducing as the fiancees showing up, but it was still nerve wracking.

Ranma's mother had seen the fights, and recognizing her son on the TV had come to find him.

Thank all the kami Kon Lon was there. Ranma might have been in trouble if the old troll wasn't!

* * *

Nodoka Saotome was a _very_ traditional martial artist. She had actually made Genma sign a seppuku pledge if her son didn't meet her standards.

Nodoka was no real match for Kon Lon.

"So, Genma has tried to force _my_ son to marry several girls in exchange for...?" she looked to Nabiki.

"From what I understood, most of the time it was too fill his own stomach or to get out of debt."

Nodoka's expression did not look happy. She wanted her son to become a man, not someone her soon-to-be-ex-husband could live off like a leech.

"Might I suggest a simple solution, Saotome-san?" asked Kyo.

"I'm listening."

"Divorce Genma, and then claim custody of your son. That would void all the contracts he made in Ranma's behalf, barring any that come forward with a written one. It would also give you a chance to see whether or not your son is to your standards, but instead of some seppuku pledge make it so if he doesn't you cast him out of your family," suggested Kyo. "You could legally sue Genma for child abuse, neglect and a host of other things, since he put Ranma through the Neko-ken training."

"A sound, reasonable suggestion that might allow me to keep my honor with our family. The fact Ranma found a way to work with the Amazon law and his own mistake is a point in his favor," said Nodoka.

* * *

If Genma was horrified to see Nodoka back in his life, it was nothing to how fast he paled when Nabiki slammed the annulment papers on him, or the ones stating Nodoka was divorcing him and taking his son with her.

And if that wasn't enough, there was also the way Kon Lon hit one of Genma's pressure points paralyzing him long enough for Ranma and Kyo to use their Heaven and Earth attack.

It sent the freeloading jerk halfway to Tomobiki with how hard Ranma kicked him.

If he showed up, Nabiki was going to call the cops and have him arrested.

On the plus side, if things ever went south in Shigure's home Kyo had an open invitation to the home Nodoka had opened up in Nerima. Meaning if someone were looking for him, they wouldn't find him nearly as easy.

* * *

Kyo had to chose between going back to the Sohma main house for New Years, or sticking around to keep Tohru company.

The choice was pretty obvious. He would rather keep Tohru company than deal with Akito and the likelihood that he would keep him from attending the nationals.

And with the amount of cash Nabiki had made betting on him with the money he earned at the Cat Cafe every weekend, he could reasonably live off his fighting skills so long as he had a proxy do the betting.

Nabiki promptly offered her services for a flat ten percent rate. She didn't mind acting as Kyo's go-between.

Tohru looked really happy, especially when Kyo explained some of the less violent aspects of martial arts. Specifically shiatsu and how it could be used to heal, rather than harm.

Which he demonstrated when he used his skills to relax her without using needles.

* * *

Kyo couldn't believe how bad his luck was. Because he deliberately skipped out on the New Year's Banquet (despite the fact he wasn't allowed to attend in the first place) Akito was planning to drop by the school.

Likely because he heard about what happened at the Regionals, and wanted to see if Kyo was skilled enough to beat Yuki finally. Akito was a dick like that.

Which meant he would have to put on the boy's uniform so Akito didn't find out he had another curse.

All the clan had heard was that Kyo had won the tag-team portion of the regional qualifiers with a friend. Because his showing had been omitted and the fact that the tape was never sent to the main house, no one outside of Kagura and his dad knew about the other curse. The last tag-team battle had been kept from airing because of the showing Ryoga put on.

It wasn't that unheard of.

"Kyo-kun...it's been a while..." said an unfriendly (and sadly familiar) voice. He didn't even have to turn around to know it was Akito.

"Akito."

"I heard that you've become stronger. Strong enough to challenge Yuki and possibly win. Have you forgotten our deal, Kyo-kun?" purred Akito. (Imagine Orochimaru's tone while talking to Sasuke to get an idea of how Akito sounded.)

Kyo fought the urge to run or vomit. There was something about Akito's tone that sent alarms going through Kyo's head. He had a sneaking suspicion about what Akito was really here for.

"I remember. I have to beat Yuki in a fight in order to stay out of that room when I graduate high school," said Kyo.

"If you've gotten so strong, then you should have no problem beating him right now."

Kyo turned to face Akito. The bastard was a childhood nightmare that never seemed to end. He seemed to thrive on being a control freak and making others more miserable than he was.

Showing he had a spine for the first time in his life, Kyo firmly said "Go to hell. I don't need to prove I'm better than Yuki just to satisfy your sadistic need to make our lives your personal game."

Akito's eyes became filled with rage. If not for the amount of witnesses coming through the hallway at that moment, Kyo was absolutely sure that the deranged bastard would have tried to hit him.

As it was, Kyo knew he had better warn Yuki that Akito would be on the warpath and liable to take it out on the members of the Zodiac.

* * *

"What do you want Kiyone?" asked Yuki frostily.

"Shut up and listen to me you damn rat. I don't like you, and I can't stand your smug better-than-everyone attitude... but even I'm not cruel enough to let you leave the building without warning you first. Akito was here and he's pissed because Kyo told him to go to hell. Kagura's already warning the others to avoid him, but I felt you should be warned immediately."

Yuki's attitude went from annoyed and irritated to concerned and terrified. Out of those in the Zodiac, there were a select few who got an extra long punishment from the clan head.

Yuki was one of those.

"Are you absolutely sure _he_ was here?"

"The only reason he didn't try to attack Kyo was because there were too many witnesses. But considering you were the one Kyo has to beat in order to avoid that place, he felt you should be warned before you left the safety of the school."

Yuki might dislike Kyo immensely, but for once he had reason to thank the bane of his existence. If he had left the school without knowing Akito was in a really bad mood, he might have been in for a nasty surprise with no way out.

"Kyo said he was willing to walk home from school with you, in case Akito tries something."

"For once I'll gladly accept that offer," said Yuki.

Kyo was waiting by the school gate...and so was Kagura and some random boy Yuki had never seen before.

"Who's this?"

"The Nerima equivalent of Hatsuharu, except his cursed form is similar to Kagura," said Kyo.

Yuki froze.

"Akito will be furious if he found out we're casually telling people about..."

"Relax rat boy, Ryoga already has a curse. It's not like it's _that_ rare and if anything happens we could always claim you went to Jusenkyo or something."

"Jusenkyo?"

"Cursed springs in China. If you get hit with cold or below room temperature water, you turn into whatever spring you fell into. Get hit with hot and it's reversed. And I keep water with me all the time, so I could pretend I hit you with it if you bump into anyone," said Kyo.

Yuki paused and turned to look at Kyo.

"Wait. If there's such a thing as these cursed springs that turn you into something random..."

"Yes, there is a Spring of Cursed Man and Spring of Cursed Girl. Hell, I fell into the girl one about a year ago."

If it wasn't for the possibility of Akito coming after him, Yuki would have beaten the hell out of Kyo right then and there.

"You. You're Kiyone aren't you?"

"No shit Sherlock. It took you that long to figure out I was the one making your day hell just by pretending to get close to you?" said Kyo sarcastically.

"Kyo almost won the regionals in his girl form," said Kagura.

"Yeah, and if it weren't for that busted sprinkler pipe no one would have found out Kiyone and Ranma were actually guys," agreed Ryoga.

Once they were inside Shigure's house (he was out tormenting his editor again) Yuki looked at Kyo.

"What effect do these...cursed springs...have?"

"They confuse our natural curses enough that we can hug people of either gender without transforming. Though it still acts up while we're weak, or in my case the bracelet is removed."

Yuki had evidently picked up on the same thing Kyo had when he first found out.

"You mean you..."

"Yeah. But if I have to I'll erase the memory of the fact from your mind. Until I'm absolutely sure Akito's influence over us is neutralized, he can't find out."

"What are you talking about? If word spread through the clan that there was a cure to the curse..."

"It's not a full cure yet. And how exactly do you think Akito would react if he knew that I had accidentally found something that could potentially end the curse?"

Yuki ran the scenario through his head. The best case was that he would allow it or not care. The worst case...he paled.

"He'd have us killed at worst," said Yuki.

"There's also the fact that _I_ was the one to find it. We both know our clan hates me because I carry the Cat, so they might not take it too well if they found out I found a cure. Which is why I've been training with Kon Lon-sensei every weekend. The stronger I get, the higher the chance I can free us of Akito's influence once and for all."

Yuki looked at Kyo like he had never seen the boy before. This wasn't the hotheaded idiot who attacked him on sight for years.

This was someone who actually used their head to think things through. It was actually mildly impressive.


End file.
